From a psychological point of view a bed patient who is well groomed and clean feels better. Frequently, bed patients must go for a week or more without shampoos, because of the difficulty of giving them quick, pleasant, efficient shampoos, without wetting or messing bed linens and gowns. Adding to the expense and time and effort required is the necessity also of using extra towels to mop up spillage and splashes around the head of the patient.
Aggravated problems of this nature occur when caring for patients fixed in "Halo Vests", metal framework immobilizing the head through anchorage to the body. Sanitary shampoos are prescribed to inhibit infection at the points of affixation to the head; often these are bolt-like metal fixtures screwed through the skin into the bone of the head and left there from three to six months. During the first four to six weeks or more the patient may lack equilibrium, and head and scalp cleaning, particularly including the areas at bolt-like fixtures, must be done in bed, carefully and frequently, to prevent infections, and to prevent damage to hair follicles.
Shampooing the "Halo" patient is especially messy in another way--the shampoo that should be used is an iodine-base compound (example: "Bedidine") that stains bed linens, gowns, and towels.
Other types of hair and scalp problems occur with bed patients. Since the banning of DDT, head lice have become nearly epidemic. It is necessary to go through a repeated-treatment procedure to get rid of these.
With all these problems, patient safety and sanitation are of utmost importance.